President Scott Elliot welcomed a big
turnout of members to last week's Rotary Club meeting and was sad to report the
passing of Past President John Robson at the age of 93 years. A eulogy was
given by his friend and fellow member Jack Swanston, Paul Harris Fellow, covering
John's life history and his involvement in Rotary including the office of
President in 1990.
The speaker, introduced by Jack Swanston,
was Murray Watson, born a Jethart Callant, brought up in the Caribbean, educated
in England which resulted in his pronounced English accent, had several abodes,
currently living locally, has written and published several books on the
immigration of the English as well as being a University Lecturer here and
abroad on the subject and it was on this that he based his talk in a professional
yet interesting and understandable style. He looked at the history of the
subject and in 1861 the census showed there was 30,000 English in Scotland
but in the last census this had increased to 459,000, English settlers
during the expansion of the Industrial Revolution resulted in a big influx of
Englishmen to pockets in Scotland, namely Govan, Motherwell and Hawick. As
a result Hawick has one of the oldest cricket clubs and brass bands in the
country as they introduced them to the town. His recent research
shows that after the Scots and English the third nation is German but there is
an increase in English emigration due to the current Brexit negotiations
especially to Canada. An interesting talk, professionally delivered, which
generated several questions after which President Scott gave the vote of
thanks. Kerr Scott reported that the purple crocus bulbs had been planted
in Weensland Road at Heronhill to mark the Rotary Project of End Polio
Now.